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Angle's clutch blast in ninth forges tie for Dodgers

3/7/13: Matt Angle drills a clutch three-run home run to left field, knotting the score at 11 in the bottom of the ninth inning

By Ken Gurnick
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MLB.com |

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Matt Angle clubbed a three-run, game-tying home run with two outs in the ninth inning off Josh Lindblom to put the finishing touches on a Dodgers rally and forge an 11-11 tie with the Rangers at Camelback Ranch on Thursday.

Former Dodger Adrian Beltre slugged a two-run homer off former Rangers teammate Mark Lowe, and Leonys Martin drove in three runs for the Rangers.

Texas strung six consecutive hits off two Dodgers pitchers in a five-run fifth inning that included Beltre's homer, an RBI double by David Murphy and a two-run single by Martin. Konrad Schmidt padded the Texas lead with a two-run homer off Peter Moylan in the seventh inning.

"I think I'm over that, but it's always nice to beat up on them a little bit," said Beltre about homering against his former team.

Randy Wells got the win for Texas, despite allowing three runs in four innings. Dodgers starter Chad Billingsley had a no-decision with 3 1/3 innings, charged with two runs (one earned) and retiring nine consecutive batters at one point.

Dee Gordon got it started for the Dodgers off Wells with a first-inning single and stole second. When Alfredo Amezaga struck out on a pitch in the dirt, Gordon raced to third as catcher A.J. Pierzynski threw to first for the putout. Jeremy Moore's fifth double of the spring scored Gordon.

Ramon Castro, a non-roster catcher serving as designated hitter, led off the third inning with a home run for the Dodgers. Gordon singled again, stole second again and, after a walk by Amezaga, scored on Yasiel Puig's bouncer into right field.

After the Rangers' outburst in the top of the fifth, the Dodgers pulled back into the game with a pair of runs off reliever Joe Nathan on RBI hits by Elian Herrera and Tim Federowicz. They later scored three runs off Evan Meek in the seventh, highlighted by Brian Barden's RBI double.

Jim Adduci appeared to put the game out of reach for the Rangers with a two-run triple in the ninth off Blake Johnson, before Angle stepped up with his heroics in the bottom half of the frame.

The game was wedged between two days of split-squad games for the Dodgers, who fielded a starting lineup with no player expected to be an Opening Day starter.

Up next for the Dodgers: The Dodgers on Friday have split-squad games for the second time in three days. In a road day game against the Giants, live on Gameday Audio at 12:05 p.m. PT, Ted Lilly will start in a return from a bout with the flu. In the home night game against the Reds, which fans can watch live at dodgers.com with an exclusive video webcast at 6:05 p.m. PT, Chris Capuano will start. Most of the Dodgers regulars who sat out Thursday will be in the lineup, and Shawn Tolleson, who escaped a knee injury Tuesday, will return to the mound.

Ken Gurnick is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.